Michael Chandler is still waiting for his UFC fight with Conor McGregor to be confirmed, expressing frustration at the delay but remaining hopeful that it will take place this summer.
Michael Chandler’s UFC calendar still lacks a match against Conor McGregor. It’s like a needle in a haystack, he’s reminded every day.
“I knew what I signed up for,” Chandler admitted on The MMA Hour. He didn’t expect it to take this long, though. Dana White and Hunter Campbell warned him it’d be different. Not your regular fight booking.
There’d be highs and lows. Brick walls to run into. Moments he’d want to step off the train. But he’s told to stay on.
Conor’s road back to the UFC? It goes through Nashville, Tennessee. He can’t fight anyone else. It’s Chandler vs. McGregor. Hopefully, this summer. That’s Chandler’s plan. After UFC 300. When will the contract get booked? Who knows. But when it does, it’ll be big.
Chandler, 37, has been linked to a UFC bout with McGregor since coaching against him on The Ultimate Fighter 31 in 2023. After months of uncertainty, McGregor finally announced the Chandler fight on New Year’s Eve. It was supposed to headline the UFC’s International Fight Week pay-per-view on June 29. But UFC CEO Dana White squashed that news. No fight is on the books for the Irishman, he said.
This saga has sidelined Chandler for a year. Despite trying to stay positive, there’s been frustration. McGregor vs. Chandler not being the main event of UFC 300 was just the latest example.
Chandler’s disappointed about UFC 300. “It’s a momentous card, man.” 300 shows, 30 years of UFC. It would’ve been cool. But every UFC fight is huge. Chandler knows it. Conor knows it.
The fight will happen. Later this year, summer, fall, who knows. But patience is needed. Chandler gets why people want the fight booked. He brings a different speed, a different cadence, a different ferocity. And Conor is the biggest combat star on the planet.
Chandler has kept his name out there despite the uncertainty. His surprise appearance on WWE Raw was just another example. He went viral after calling out McGregor.
There have been moments Chandler wondered if he was wasting his time. Should he set a deadline? But he’s confident the hardest part of the wait is over.
“It’s a moving target,” Chandler said. If it seemed like the fight wasn’t happening, he’d pivot. But for now, it’s on. No date yet, but it’s close.
The summer date makes sense. It’s got to be a big marquee card. Chandler hasn’t gotten confirmation for June 29 or any other card. It’s not UFC 300, but he’s hoping for this summer. He’s already in shape. The Honda Center saw that. He’s ready to train. Ready to dispatch McGregor.